S.I. Yanks lose fourth in a row

Hilton Flores/Staten Island AdvanceDespite two hits from Luke Murton, the Staten Island Yankees dropped a 5-3 New York-Penn League decision to the Hudson Valley Renegades on Monday night.

FISHKILL, N.Y. -- The Staten Island Yankees didn't commit five errors, as they had on Friday ... or seven, the franchise record they set Sunday.

No, the Baby Bombers only had one miscue Monday night.

But one was enough to help send Staten Island to its fourth straight defeat.

A misplayed grounder by relief pitcher Ronny Marte keyed Hudson Valley's five-run uprising in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Renegades notched a 5-3 New York-Penn League victory at Dutchess Stadium.

After three consecutive setbacks to rival Brooklyn, the Yankees' luck seemed to change by getting out of the city and facing a different McNamara Division foe. They led 3-0 headed into the home eighth thanks to superb pitching from starter Adams Warren (5 IP, 4 H, 5 K) and reliever Paul Patterson.

Marte, who has five saves on the season, was called on to close out the final two frames. But the right-hander was immediately greeted by a double to left from Bennett Davis and a single by Gabe Cohen, putting runners on the corners. Diogenes Luis then hit a comebacker that Marte threw away, allowing two runs to score and sending Luis to second.

After Dustin Biell walked, Tyler Bortnick tied the game on a double to left, sending Biell to third. Brett Nommensen gave the Renegades the lead with a sacrifice fly before two more singles followed off the bats of Mark Thomas (RBI) and Eli Sonoqui. Marte's nightmare finally ended when he induced Mayobanex Acosta to ground into an inning-ending double play, but the damage was done.

Zachary Quate yielded a one-out single to Luke Murton in the SI ninth, but shut the door for his sixth save.

The Yankees (19-18) have committed errors in six straight contests -- totaling 19 miscues during that span, which has seen them go 1-5 and fall to third place in the division. After Brooklyn's win Monday night, Staten Island is now seven games behind the Cyclones (26-11) and 1½ behind Hudson Valley (21-17).

The Bombers opened the scoring against HV starter Devin Fuller with two runs in the second, though even that was a disappointment.

A Deangelo Mack double, Murton hit by pitch and Hector Rabago single loaded the bases with none out, but Carmen Angelini grounded into a run-scoring yet rally-killing double play to second base. Francisco Santana did follow with an RBI single for a 2-0 lead, but Jimmy Paredes flied to left to let Fuller off the hook.

The Yanks made it 3-0 in the sixth as Neil Medchill walked, stole second and scored on Mack's double against reliever Glenn Gibson.

Warren, meanwhile, cruised through his five innings, never allowing a Renegade to reach second base. Patterson stranded a runner on third with one out in the sixth before pitching a 1-2-3 seventh.